In Nà Tấu commune (Điện Biên Phủ city), the plum harvest season is nearing its end, and although the trees are laden with ripe plums, the prices have dropped to just a few thousand VND per kilogram, resulting in significant losses for farmers. Plum trees have been cultivated in Nà Tấu since 1995 and have been widely spread among the locals, covering an area of over 20 hectares. Despite low production in 2023-2024, high prices during that period provided considerable income for local households. However, this year, the “bumper harvests but low prices” phenomenon has reoccurred, with prices plummeting, leading to significant losses for many families.

Lò Văn Toản, Chairman of the Nà Tấu commune People’s Committee, shared: “The local government has implemented various solutions, including surveying cultivation areas, encouraging the use of quality plum varieties, expanding the planting area, organizing plum-picking tours, and supporting sales through social media like Zalo and livestreams. However, the market remains unstable, and the income from plums this year is only about 20% of what it was last year, causing many families to suffer losses.”

The recurring “bumper harvests but low prices” issue has highlighted the urgent need for stable outlets for Điện Biên’s agricultural products. To address this lack of sustainability, local authorities have been pushing for crop restructuring to reduce reliance on crops with volatile prices. Among these crops, macadamia and coffee are being identified as two main crops with long-term development potential, helping stabilize farmers’ incomes.

The macadamia planting model in Pu Nhi commune (Điện Biên Đông district) is being strongly promoted, with over 530 hectares planted in cooperation between cooperatives, local households, and private enterprises. Currently, many macadamia trees are growing well, with some early-planted trees starting to bloom and bear fruit. The newly planted macadamia trees are being well cared for according to technical standards, with a very low mortality rate. Meanwhile, Noong U commune has planted 49 hectares of coffee, with many trees entering their first fruiting season. The newly planted areas of macadamia and coffee are being meticulously cared for by the local people.

Vũ Ngọc Hoành, Chairman of the Điện Biên Đông district People’s Committee, stated: “The local people are gradually changing their approach to accessing capital and building effective economic development models. The district has implemented various measures to encourage people and enterprises to expand macadamia and coffee plantations, while also promoting production-consumption linkages. These efforts are expected to lead to sustainable development, increase incomes, and improve the lives of people in the highlands in the near future.”

In the process of agricultural restructuring, Nà Sáy commune (Tuần Giáo district) has achieved positive results, with 92.5 hectares of macadamia planted in 2023-2024, showing good growth. The community has diligently carried out hole digging and macadamia tree care, completing 100% of the registered area. In addition, coffee has been successfully planted on 13.7 hectares, with 3 hectares being planted in 2024.

In 2025, the commune plans to plant an additional 68.45 hectares, involving 137 households, with 125 households already completing the seedling planting phase. The entire Tuần Giáo district has expanded its macadamia planting areas, with 1,032 hectares planted in 2024, bringing the total area to 1,579 hectares. It is expected that 2,000 more hectares will be planted in 2025.

Alongside the expansion of planting areas, Tuần Giáo district has also focused on developing deep processing for macadamia products. Many local households have invested in drying, shelling, and macadamia oil extraction machines to increase the value of their macadamia products. The collaboration with enterprises not only ensures stable income for farmers but also opens up opportunities to participate in the global value chain. Notably, Tuần Giáo district is cooperating with TH Group to implement a project to build a macadamia processing plant in Quài Nưa commune, with a total investment of nearly VND 671 billion over an area of 12.79 hectares. The plant, expected to start operations from Q3 of 2025 to Q3 of 2026, will purchase and process large quantities of macadamia in the region, providing a clean, safe, and nutritious product to the market. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to contribute over VND 40 billion in taxes annually and create jobs for approximately 100 local workers, thereby promoting sustainable economic development for the entire district.

In recent years, Điện Biên province has identified key crops to build production chains, promote trade, and guide export efforts. Challenges in regional planning and collaboration between farmers and enterprises are gradually being addressed, providing a foundation for stable outlets for agricultural products. From local practices, several sustainable solutions have been proposed, including: switching to high-value crops like macadamia and coffee; encouraging local processing to increase value; developing production-consumption linkages to stabilize markets; promoting the use of digital technology and e-commerce to help farmers access larger markets; and establishing specialized cultivation zones while protecting the ecological environment and training local human resources in technical skills and product quality management.

If these solutions are implemented synchronously, they will open up long-term and sustainable paths for Điện Biên’s agricultural products, improving people’s lives and the economic value for the locality.